


Marks

by wynnebat



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Dysfunctional Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-27
Updated: 2011-10-27
Packaged: 2018-04-25 09:03:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4954456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wynnebat/pseuds/wynnebat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Family left the worst marks.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Marks

**Author's Note:**

> Because Neville's home life felt so off throughout the books. 
> 
> Backdated to its OneNote date, which isn't correct but is the closest I can get with its original word doc gone.

"Gran, I have my final grades for the year. Do you want to see them?" Neville asked as he stood in his grandmother's favorite lounge room. He'd only gotten them this morning, but had held out showing them to her for over an hour as he contemplated pretending they'd gotten lost somewhere down the line. The chance that Gran would even ask about them was small, but if she did, and he didn't have them… He'd never forget the lecture. And so he stood, holding out the envelope and hoping she just wouldn't care to see the grades. He could hear it now: the shuffling and tearing of the envelope, the soft, disappointed 'hmmmm', and then, of course, the tirade about how his father—

"Never had less than an Exceeds Expectations in any course, your father didn't. His first through third years he got all Outstandings, even in History. I'd ask him why he even bothered and he'd say, 'Well, Ma, it's not really that bad, if you research other books. It's just Hogwarts: A History that's boring.' What am I going to do with you, Neville? I wish Frank were here. He'd sort this out. He was good like that."

Neville didn't to be a genius to know he didn't do as well as Frank Longbottom. He didn't do as well as him last year, he didn't do as well as him this year, he probably wasn't going to do as well as him in the next five years.

"It's not that bad. I got an Outstanding in—"

"Oh yes, your wonderful O in Herbology. Do you suppose that makes up for your T in Potions? Or maybe your P in Transfigurations? Minerva comments that you're at least outspoken in class, which raised your grade somewhat. Do you want to fail out of Hogwarts? Is that it? Are you rebelling?"

"No, Gran," Neville said, sighing. "I just think I'm not good at magic. Or potions."

"Than what are you good at? Do you want to become the next generation groundskeeper? Drop out, live off a squib's allowance, wallow in self-pity?"

"I'm good at Herbology."

"What does your professor say?"

"We've never really talked. She has a lot of students. I think she likes me."

Gran gave him a look. "You mean, you don't cause trouble in class or complain about sticking your hands up Mandrake ears. We had a talk about Potions last year. You got a D. You've done even worse this year. Did you even ask for remedial lessons?

"Yes! He said he couldn't do anything to lessen my levels of incompetence and left the room. Snape hates me! He keeps glaring at me and waiting for me to mess up."

"These past two years I've paid more than 500 galleons in reparations to your potions classroom. Five hundred galleons out of the Longbottom vaults."

Neville wanted to say that their family vaults could take quite a bit more potions accidents, but Gran wouldn't stand for that. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"You didn't mean to what? Get bad grades? Drive me to have to cancel my knitting lessons because of lack of money?"

"Okay, I'll do better next year!"

"I'll ask Alfard to tutor you. He did get a NEWT in Potions twenty years ago. He should be able to teach you something."

"Please not Uncle Alfard. Anyone but him! He's crazy and doesn't like me."

"I'm too old for this. I'll send an owl to Professor Snape, see if he can recommend a tutor. I'll be upstairs, napping. Don't disturb me." She took a rectangular bottle from the side-cabinet. She probably thought he was too dumb to know what it was, or believed it to be a calming potion.

He went out to the garden and watered his patch of land. The flowers he'd planted last year didn't survive the winter. He often wondered why the Longbotttom Manor was so far north. There were no wizarding communities nearby.

It might've been easier, had there been a wizarding community nearby. Maybe, he couldn't even made a friend. Instead, Neville began to plant a new set of plants, trying to forget the bleak world outside.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Complete; no sequel planned.


End file.
